title: Physiological parameters of plants as indicators of water quality in a constructed wetland.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Increasing demand for water has stimulated efforts to treat wastewater for reuse in agriculture. Decentralized facilities for wastewater treatment became popular as a solution to remote and small communities. These systems mimic natural wetlands, cleaning wastewater as they flow through a complex of filter media, microbial fauna, and vegetation. The function of plants in constructed wetlands (CWs) has not been fully elucidated yet.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  In the research reported here, we provide evidence for a new use of plant physiological parameters in CWs as bioindicators of water quality along the system. We measured improved plant performance downstream of the CW by means of photochemical efficiency, CO(2) assimilation rate, and cell membrane stability. In addition, we found evidence for temporal improvement of plant performance, which was correlated to the establishment phase of plants in a newly operating CW. It is suggested that improved monitoring and management of CWs should take into planning consideration the promising potential of phyto-indicators.
authors.affiliation: French Associates Institute for Agriculture & Biotechnology of Drylands, Jacob Blaustein Institutes for Desert Research, Ben-Gurion University of the Negev, Midreshet Ben-Gurion, Israel.
authors.forename: Oren
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Shelef
authors.forename: Avi
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Golan-Goldhirsh
authors.forename: Tanya
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Gendler
authors.forename: Shimon
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Rachmilevitch
mesh_terms: D000383:Agriculture; D010777:Photochemistry; D063245:Plant Development; D010944:Plants / Q000378:metabolism*; D014865:Waste Disposal, Fluid / Q000379:methods / Q000592:standards; D014874:Water Pollutants, Chemical / Q000032:analysis* / Q000378:metabolism; D018508:Water Purification / Q000379:methods / Q000592:standards; D014881:Water Supply / Q000032:analysis* / Q000592:standards; D053833:Wetlands
chemical_list: D014874:Water Pollutants, Chemical